Adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads



W. E. AULT June 25, 1968 ADJUSTABLE FITTING FOR CEILING MOUNTED SPRINKLER HEADS Filed July 15, 1966 INVENTOR. Wayne E. Auli' z/w/ ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,389,884 ADJUSTABLE FITTING FOR CEILING.

MOUNTED SPRINKLER HEADS Wayne E. Ault, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Autoriatic Sprinkler Corporation of America, Youngstown,

Filed July 15, 1966, Ser. No. 565,541 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-345) ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to ceiling mounted sprinkler heads and more particularly to an adjustable cup-like fitting for recessing a sprinkler head of a fire extinguish ing system relative to a ceiling and providing a self-compensating means with respect to the positioning of the sprinkler head relative to the fitting.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads that will compensate for differences in the relative positioning of the sprinkler head and the ceiling.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads which forms a finished attractive device that will not interfere with the proper and desirable operation of the sprinkler head.

The problem of mounting fire extinguishing heads in ceilings of various buildings has heretofore required either the arrangement of'the distributing piping in full view beneath the ceiling with the sprinkler heads mounted thereon or concealing the sprinkler piping above a false ceiling and extending the sprinkler heads to positions therebelow. The latter arrangement is preferred and is more widely used particularly in business establishments and the like. The location of the sprinkler heads below the false ceiling requires that a fitting be used around and about the sprinkler head and/or the pipe establishing communication between a sprinkler head and the distributing piping thereabove. In the past it has been customary to use a simple flange device positioned about the base of the sprinkler head and covering the opening in the ceiling through which the connecting piping extends. Such arrangements invariably require the cutting of the section of connecting piping to the exact length corresponding with the spacing between the distributing iping and the false ceiling. It is obvious that this is a difficult task to achieve for the reason that the distributing piping is of various sizes depending upon its location with respect to the principal supply main and furthermore because of the fact that it is frequently inclined to provide for drainage. Thus, in the past the fittings connecting the sprinkler heads to the concealed distributing piping often had to be recut many times in order to achieve the exact length necessary to locate the sprinkler head and its flange at the exact surface of the ceilin which is necessary to provide a proper and desirable appearance. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing for the partial recessing of the sprinkler head in an opening in the false ceiling beneath the distributing piping and providing a fitting which adjusts to the particular location of the sprinkler head relative to the ceiling and presents a finished attractive appearance regardless of the differences in length of the connecting piping extending between the sprinkler head and the distributing piping thereabove. v

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope'of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an upper portion of the adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler head.

. FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the bottom and one side of the adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section through the adjustable 3 and illustrating a different length and location of the distributing piping and the compensatin adjustment of the adjustable fitting.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the adjustable fitting seen in FIGURES 1 through 4 of the drawings.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURES 1 and 2 in particular, it will be seen that a sprinkler head is shown located in an adjustable fitting, the sprinkler head including the usual frame 10, water deflector 11 and threaded connection end 12. The sprinkler shown in the drawings is of the type utilizing a frangible bulb 13 which breaks upon reaching a predetermined temperature and permits the valve elements in the sprinkler to open so that fire extinguishing fluid may be discharged thereby as known in the art.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings the sprinkler is illustrated positioned in an adjustable fitting comprising an inverted cup-shaped member 14 having an inturned annular flange 15 at its upper end defining an opening 16 through which the threaded end 12 of the sprinkler extends. The fitting member 14 has an outturned annular flange 17 around its lower edge, the annular edge of the flange 17 being upturned as at 18. A pair of oppositely disposed inturned stamped tongues 19 are formed in the body of the fitting member 14 for a purpose hereinafter described.

By referring now to FIGURE 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that broken lines 20 indicate the sprinkler piping in which the sprinkler is threadably engaged as by its threaded end portion 12 and it will be understood in the art that the sprinkler and the adjustable fittin are supported on this piping 20. In actual practice the piping 20 extends upwardly to a distributing main of the fire extinguishing system. In FIGURE 3 of the drawings a false ceiling 21 is illustrated and this may comprise a suspended ceiling of a known type and which ceiling 21 is provided with an opening 22 therein which is relatively larger than the fitting member 14 so that the same can be readily positioned therethrough. The annular flange 17 on the fitting member 14 is sulficiently large to adequately cover the opening 22 and thus provide a finished appearance. An apertured disc 23 having an upturned annular flange 24 around its peripheral edge is located on the sprinkler frame 10 adjacent the threaded end portion 12 thereof cent-rally of the disc 23 bya cen trallylocated aperture therein. Struck up arms 25 the inner opposed and spaced ends of which are arcuate provide thread engaging configurations which will threadably engage the threaded end 12 of the sprinkler and thus position the apertured disc 23 in fixed relation relative to the base of the sprinkler frame which is relatively larger than the central aperture in disc 23.

formed by the fitting member 14 and through the apertures 26 and the opening 16 which will insure the prompt operation of the sprinkler in the event of fire.

In order that the inverted cup shaped fitting member 14 will be held upwardly with its flange 17 and upturned edge 18 in engagement against the ceiling 21 a coil spring 27 is positioned between the flange of the fitting merriber 14 and the apertured disc 23. In FIGURE 3 of the drawings the coil spring 27 is shown in a' relatively compressed relation as the apertured disc23 is located well inwardly of the recess defined by the fitting member 14. It will be seen that the sprinkler itself is located partially within the recess thus formed.

By referring now to FIGURE 4 of the drawings a view similar to FIGURE 3 may be seen wherein the sprinkler is located relatively lower with respect to the fitting member 14 and the ceiling 21 and the apertured disc 23 is spaced downwardly with respect to the inturned flange 15 of the fitting member 14. It will thus .be obvious that different lengths of piping have been used to connect the sprinkler and the distributing piping thereabove and that in both instances the adjustable fitting has compensated for the different lengths of the piping 20 and has provided a finished attractive appearance locating the sprinkler in desirable operative relation to the ceiling 21.

In both FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings the inturned tongues 19 may be seen extending into the recessed area defined by the inverted cup shaped adjustable fitting member 14 and it will occur to those skilled in the art that these are particularly useful in prepositioning the apertured disc 23 and its locating spring 27 in the device prior to installation. The apertured disc 26 with its spring 27 are assembled as shown and pushed into the interior of the fitting member 14 where they distort the tongues 19 as they pass the same. The tongues 19 then spring outwardly to the position illustrated and thus hold the adjustable fitting in assembly. At the time of use the sprinkler is simply positioned through the central aperture of the disc 23 and threadably engaged in the sprinkler piping 20 which *4. z- 4. will automatically engage it between the arcuate ends of the arms and thus insure the proper mounting and positioning of the apertured disc relative to the sprinkler.

It will thus be seen that the adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads disclosed herein meets the several-objects of my invention, and having thus described my invention, whatIclaim is:

1. An adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads comprising a cylindrical body member having an inturned annular flange at its upper end and an'outturned annular flange at its lower end, an apertured disc movably positioned in said cylindrical member, and inwardly spaced from said outturned-flange, said apertured disc being axially movable within said cylindrical body member and arranged to receive said sprinkler head through said aperture soas to besupported thereby, and resilient means within said cylindrical member-between said inturned flange and said disc and, in operative position, normally urging said apertured disc outwardly against said sprinkler head and said outturned flange against said ceiling.

' 2. The adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads set forth in claim 1 and wherein said resilient means comprises a coil spring and wherein said apertured disc has an annular flange on its peripheral edge, the coil spring being positioned within said annular flange. Y

3. An adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads comprising a cylindrical body member having an inturned annular flange at its upper end and an outturned annular flange at its lower end, an apertured disc mov-' ably positioned in said cylindrical member, said apertured disc being arranged to receive said sprinkler head therethrough so as to be supported thereby, and means in said cylindrical body member for caging said apertured disc between said caging means and said inturneclfiange thereof.

4. The adjustable fitting for ceiling mounted sprinkler heads set forth in claim 3 and wherein the means caging the apertured disc in the cylindrical member comprise tongues struck from said cylindrical member and positioned resiliently inwardly thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1935 Leins 24827 XR 7/1960 Metcalfe l6937 XR 

